President of India has sanctioned the following amendments in MoD letter No 11095/1/DGAFMS/DG-1X/55/D (Med) dated 08th March 1996 regarding procedure to be adopted in appointing suitable doctors as Honorary Advisors /Consultants to the AFMS.

Para 1. Rules

Eligibility Eminent Civilians/Retired AFMS Doctors who have attained very high reputation in the profession and who are willing to render their services free or who have already been rendering consultations/advice to the Armed Forces Medical Services or who have taken keen interest in fostering the development of the Armed Forces Medical Services may be recommended for being appointed as Honorary Advisor/Consultant, as considered appropriate.

Para 6.

The recommendations as approved by the Chief of Staff will be put up to the Ministry of Defence by the DGAFMS for final approval after getting clearance from the respective State Government and ascertaining discreetly the willingness of the individual concerned. In case of retired AFMS Doctors, in place of state Government, DGAFMS’s clearance, being cadre-controlling authority, would be considered sufficient.

(GOI, Min of Def Note –29299/DGAFMS/DG-1 (X)/ 1680/06/D (Med) dated 16 Jun 2006

PROCEDURE TO BE ADOPTED IN APPOINTING SUITABLE DOCTORS
AS HONORARY CONSULTANTS/ADVISORS TO THE ARMED FORCES MEDICAL SERVICES

RULES

1.     Eligibility: - Eminent Civilian Doctors who have attained a very high reputation in the profession and who are willing to render their services free or who have already been rendering consultations/advice to the Armed Forces Medical Services or who have taken keen interest in fostering the development of the Armed Forces Medical Services may be recommended for being appointed as Honorary Consultants/Advisors, as considered appropriate.

The Honorary Consultants/Advisors would be selected to cover a board spectrum of specialists and also they would not necessarily be confined to the major cities.

2.     Appointment and Terms: The Honorary Consultants/Advisors will be appointed for a period of three years at a time and their cases reviewed after that. However, they will not be allowed to continue as Honorary Consultants/Advisors after they attain the age of 65 years.

3.     Number of Vacancies: The total number of appointment made will be restricted to 60.

4.     Duties: Their charter of duties shall be as under: -

(a)     At the request of Service Medical Authorities, give free consultations/advice to members of the Armed Forces.

(b)     At the request of Service Medical Authorities, perform and be willing to do so, in an honorary capacity, major operations on members of Armed Forces or their families.

(c)     Foster the interest of the Armed Forces Services in the civil.

(d)     Stimulate response to recruitment of good civilian doctors to the Armed Forces Medical Services.

(e)     Devote some of their time regularly in the Military/Navy/Air Force Hospitals near their place of residence.

PROCEDURE

5.     Recommendations will be initiated by the DGAFMS or by any of the Directors of Medical Services. The recommendations will be considered by the Medical Services Advisory Committee and then put up for approval of the Chief of Staff Committee.

6.     The recommendations as approved by the Chief of Staff will be put up to the Ministry of Defence by the DGAFMS for final approval after getting clearance from the respective State Government and ascertaining discreetly the willingness of the individual concerned.

7.     A suitable message will be sent by the DGAFMS to the person concerned.

8.     Appointment as Honorary Consultants/Advisors will not carry the grant of an honorary rank.

9.     Honorary appointments so made shall be liable to the terminated at any time by the DGAFMS with the approval of Ministry of Defence.

10.   Honorary appointment so made shall involve no financial implications to the Government of India.

(O/O DGAFMS letter 11095/DGAFMS/DG-1 (X)/55/D (Med) dt 08 Mar 99 as amended).

That in supersession of the instructions contained in the Ministry’s letter No F. 17(5)/55/D (MS) dt 22nd Aug 1957 as amplified from time to time, the following rules and procedure will be adopted in recommending suitable personages for the grant of honorary rank or promotion to higher Honorary rank in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

RULES

1.     Eligibility: Honorary rank in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force may be granted to Indian and Non-Indian Nationals who have rendered service of a high order to the Indian Union and who have rendered signal service to any of the Armed Forces or who have taken a special interest in fostering the development of any of the Armed Forces.

2.     Rank to be granted: The recipient should be granted such rank as is befitting to his status, position and age.

3.     Promotion: Officers holding Honorary Rank may be considered for appropriate promotions at intervals.

PROCEDURE

1.     Recommendations should contain the full name, qualifications etc. of the person recommended and the reasons for the recommendation

2.     (a)     Recommendations may be made by the following :-

An officer of the status of Sub Area Commander (Brig/Commodore/Air Commodore) or above through staff channels to the Service Headquarters concerned. The Service Headquarters will then forward the recommendations for honorary rank or promotion to the Ministry of Defence alongwith the remarks of the Chief of the Staff. The practice of forwarding recommendations by Army/Navy/Air Force Commanders through the State Governments will cease forthwith.

(b)     In exceptional cases recommendations may be considered from State Governments and other Ministries of the Government of India, eg.

(i)     Chief Ministers in respect of States.
(ii)    The Ministry of Home Affairs in respect of centrally administrated areas.
(iii)   The Ministry of External Affairs in respect of Non-Indian Nationals.

(c)     When submitting recommendations for the grant of or promotions in, honorary rank, Army

HQ/NHQ/Air HQ will place a Draft Gazette Notification on the file.

3.     The recommendations will be scrutinized by the Ministry of Defence, who will consult the State Authority concerned in respect of recommendations received from Armed Forces HQs. Where recommendations are received from civil authorities the appropriate Chief of Staff will be consulted.

4.     The recommendations will be submitted to the Defence Minister for approval. After the Defence Minister’s approval has been obtained, the initial recommending authority would be asked to make discreet and confidential enquiries to ascertain whether the grant of the proposed Honorary Rank would be acceptable to the individual concerned but in no case should the individual be informed of the fact that the proposal is under the consideration of the Government.

On receipt of confirmation that the grant of Honorary rank will be acceptable to the person concerned, the proposal as approved by the Defence Minister will be forwarded to the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, who will, if he approves of the recommendations, obtain the final approval of the President.

5.     On receipt of the President’s approval the usual action to publish a notification in the Gazette of India will be initiated in this Ministry. The effective date of the grant will be the date on which the award has been approved by the President. A congratulatory message will be sent to the recipient of the honorary rank or promotion in the higher rank, by the Defence Secretary.

Copy of the Defence Secretary’s message will be endorsed to the Chief of Staff of the Service concerned simultaneously and to the DPR who will arrange to issue a message regarding the award to the Press. A copy of the congratulatory message will be supplied to the Ministry of External Affairs if the recipient is a Non-Indian National.

6.     The Honorary rank may be withdrawn by the Government of India at any time at their discretion.

(GOI, Min of Def note 4(1)/77/D (MS) dt 18 May 1977)